So, if I'm understanding this right, the "unprecedented show of force" consists of policing the festival at all?
But your suspicions make my suspicions seem silly...
We can't build these dreams on suspicious minds.
I assume from 1 that the UK's slide into a police state is complete.
Enforcing nudity law at Burning Man certainly sounds like an "unprecedented show of force."
Much like the death of Jerry Garcia, it's hard not to cheer for this for what I guess are not good reasons.
Maybe they can hire the Hells Angels to do security.
To UK readers, all I can say is that Burning Man is apparently some sort of unique traditionally anarchic self-policing zone, and the rest of us outside California don't understand either.
I assume from 1 that the UK's slide into a police state is complete.
Obviously these things can be over-policed, and/or violently policed, but complaining in anti-fascist terms about a police presence being there at all at a gathering of tens of thousands of people doing lots of illegal and dangerous things seems, well, silly.
To UK readers, all I can say is that Burning Man is apparently some sort of unique traditionally anarchic self-policing zone
It is similar to the night following the annual aquatic contest between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, on which, I understand, a certain latitude is traditionally granted by the authorities.
It seems perfectly natural to complain about police presence if you intended to do illegal things.
7/8 really is Ogged-like. Halford needs to write how Fafblog isn't funny any more.
10: Here in Columbus we have the Community Festival, so we sort of do understand.
The police have pretty much taken over policing the Community Festival in the last couple of years too.
11: there have always been cops at Burning Man. It's always been a somewhat uneasy relationship, but police presence on the playa is nothing new.
Fair enough. I got the impression from the link that the poster was outraged that the police were there and enforcing laws at all.
There have been tons of police there for years. This is something different.
In related news, this is a subject about which I have a great deal of knowledge, both personal and institutional, and also I have no time at all to weigh in today. So: have fun!
Maybe related to stuff like this?
http://sfburnergrrrl.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/sex-at-burning-man/
The problem is that it seems there are some who think that free self-expression at Burning Man means the dissolution of all sexual boundaries. They think that they are "owed" some sort of sexual experience, and that every woman who goes is OK with being grabbed and stared at lewdly, she must be, right, if she goes to Burning Man? I've heard way too many horror stories from women who'll never go back because of bad experiences, ranging from mild sexual harassment to full on rape...
Maybe the most upsetting thing about this situation, besides the fact that he made our week pretty uncomfortable, is that he's the type who acts like "cool burner guy" He claims to be an artist, and goes around giving out these super ugly necklaces to everyone, and volunteers to be a Black Rock Ranger. I think that one thing people don't realize is that anyone can volunteer to be a ranger. I doubt they do any sort of background checks on people or give much training. It sounds so official which I think can be a problem when dealing with serious crimes (such as rapes) or injuries. I hate to say it, I don't want to see anyone arrested for smoking a little pot, or minor things like that, but I do think they need more trained professionals there.
I'm extremely unconvinced that any police heavy-handedness will reduce sexual harassment and rape.
People tend to commit less crime when they think the odds of getting caught are high and a lot of cops visibly cracking down on everyone tends to keep that thought in their mind. Look at the reaction in the link in the OP.
Law enforcement is going to be VERY AGGRESSIVE at Burning Man this year. Keep your shit as right as you do back in the world. Don't give them any excuses. Be extremely cautious, and MAKE SURE TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS.
19: no, not remotely. Related to ongoing disputes between the BMorg and Pershing County and the BMorg and the BLM.
21: I don't buy 21 whatsoever, when it comes to sex and women. I don't believe the person who wrote that comment is even thinking about women. He's talking about drugs.
Ok, that's not true. I'm sure extra police would reduce the groping and rape by some degree. But it's not best practices for creating an event which does not have a rapey aire about it.
Also the actual number of LEOs is the same. They are just enforcing minor violations (no visible turns signals on a mutant vehicle; 6mph in a 5mph zone) and using them as pretext for searches, and also threatening maximal charges for minor offenses (sex offender status for peeing on the playa).
22, 25: Ah. Sounds like a fairly bog standard "someone on high is pissed and has directed the festival to be a no tolerance zone".
22: Related to ongoing disputes between the BMorg and Pershing County and the BMorg and the BLM.
Really? Not hugely surprising, I guess, but that does piss a person off.
Weirdly, there's no word of any of this on the regional burner list I just remembered I'm subscribed to (but I notice the traffic there is way down from its former babble and burble - possibly the encroachment of twitter and/or FB, though those are comparatively public).
Or maybe it's because they're all out on the playa, actually. Duh.
sex offender status for peeing on the playa
Sex offender status always seemed to me to be a deeply problematic form of punishment anyway (a kind of orchestrated public shaming, ostracism, and harassment for individuals who had served their prison sentences) and to see it deployed in this way is really disgusting. It goes to show what happens when you give law enforcement the ability to screw with peoples' rights based on your reaction to the worst of the worst; pretty soon it'll get used on you. Who here hasn't peed outdoors at least once? (OK, among males I guess).
Is somebody going to make an R Kelly joke?
Who here hasn't peed outdoors at least once?
You can do it here with less worry. It's a ticket at most and not on the list of registerable offenses.
I have pooped outdoors on various occasions.
I don't know what bears think is so great about it.
Bears don't have gluts. It makes twerking pointless, but shitting in the woods is easier.
25: What's this got to do with lox, eggs, and onions?
34: Good goddamned thing you're writing pseudonymously, eh?
Best thing about BM: San Francisco is blissfully emptied of burners. And we get an extra bonus of loveliness this year with the extended closure of the bridge!
I'd you can visit the the city this weekend it'll be gloriously uncrowded and our summer is juuuuust starting, should be near perfect conditions.
I don't know what bears think is so great about it.
I think this goes in the squats thread?
39: Doesn't your impending Yosemite forest fire apocalypse cast a bit of a pall?
Oh, poo, Knecht. That is in *such* bad taste.
42: Sounds like Pooh's been doing his squats.
The question isn't who hasn't peed or pooped outdoors, but who hasn't outside of wilderness areas.
I didn't ask for these powers, teraz.
If smoke from the fire ever makes it all the way to the city we will have many many more worries than the usual oversupply of entitled white boy pretend social rebels in their own heads only. Hetch Hetchy is pretty far east from here. Welcome to the weird geography of Western US Waterworks.